Cold September Winds
by PenToSword
Summary: A summer. That's all they were given. No more, no less. And still, why was it so hard to leave?


**So, um, well. I was on hiatus for quite a while (two years but shh don't tell anyone) and have left my two stories unfinished, for which I am truly and deeply sorry and if it relieves you I do plan on finishing both in the near future. So if you follow them, BEWARE! ahahahasobsob**

**Two years of massive writer's block is no fun, okay.**

**So, onward with this story, then!**  
**This is just a prologue and the story itself will be a few chapters long.**

**Oh yes, I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING RELATED TO THE AVENGERS OR MARVEL OR TOM HIDDLESTON (although I wish I did. sigh.)**

**P  
**

* * *

The breeze was gentle over the rooftops. From the balcony of the old, large apartment she could see far away, even the mountains on the other side of the large, lazy river seemed closer in the clear air. The old city stretched under her vision, far away but on the horizon the skeletal bodies of blocks of flats grazed the blue sky. She knew those not-so-old relics of an era that has just withdrew from above this ancient and beautiful city. She could still see the faint reminders of the socialism that had held the country in its iron grip and it was oh so familiar for her.

But still so many thing has changed since her last visit. New roads and streets ran across the much bigger cit, while new subway lines pierced the soil underneath it. She guessed she would never be able to visit this city without memories flooding over her, making her shudder, even though the weather was mild as usually in early may.  
She wondered how many people have buried their memories in the silence of the city under the thousand years during which it had withstood the strikes of history. If any city was worn by the years past, this was it. She has entrusted the old streets with the most important change in her life. Without which she could not have been near where she was. Emotional tranquility, that was the aim, the holy grail of her bloodstained, thunder crashed life. And for her utter surprise it was here, in the Red City (it was Clint who had given the Eastern-European capital the nickname but still it fitted it well) where she could finally find what she was looking for.

How long had it been? Could it be that so many years have passed since that fateful day?

_The rain was coming down hard on the empty, narrow street where she was desperately trying to gain some space between herself and the dark shadow behind her. Thunder cracked and she could finally get a glance at her pursuer's silhouette._

_A marksman. The enemy is either vastly cautious or has known it would be her on the mission. But how? HOW? It didn't really matter, just run, run and fight back with all she had left. In the deepest corner of her mind a small voice kept muttering a question but her survival instincts suppressed it. Nonetheless, the question stayed there: Why hasn't he shot yet?_

Her grip grew tighter around the small balcony's rail. Somewhere the alarm of a car went off but she didn't seem to even hear it. The slight breeze has grown into a forceful wind that tugged on her dress but she was numb to the outer world.

_Two pairs of footsteps, almost in sync, and then suddenly one vanishes...it's her own._

_The wall is cold against her back and her breathing is ragged from the running. She can't recall the fall, not the slightest, only the throbbing pain in her left leg and arm is there to remind her. She looks up and the thunder paints the bow aimed at her with light._

A pair of cool hands encircling her waist snapped her back to reality and a shudder went through her. She leaned back against the body behind her and relaxed but the memories didn't seem to leave her yet.

_She closed her eyes and just listened to her breathing and the rain still pouring down, hitting the concrete hard. She just sat there waiting for the end to come and felt nothing beside the pain in her limbs. In the Red Room they had killed every notion in her to fear death. She became indifferent, neither welcoming, or fearing the awaiting darkness. _

_But the fatal blow was not coming and she slowly, cautiously opened her eyes to see a man standing before her in all black with a bow in his hands but there was no arrow on the string. She looked up at his face and his gaze pierced through hers but she was not able to read anything from his eyes and this moved something inside her she thought she would never feel again._

_A tiny spark of fear has nested itself in her. This man held her life in his hands, and she could do nothing, not even know his intentions were. He was as likely to kill her then and there as not. _

_They were still staring at each other. Seconds passed and nothing happened._

_At last he very slowly lifted his empty hand and held it in front of her, his eyes never leaving hers. And she, though all her implanted instincts were screaming against it, slowly took it and let him lift her from the ground._

'Are you alright?' the voice next to her right ear was silky and just barely above a whisper. She smiled and put her hands over his on her waist, leaning more into him. But when she turned around to face him, there was worry written over Loki's handsome features. Natasha put a reassuring hand to the side of his face, caressing his godly jawline.

'It's just the memories. This city is full of them they like to pay me a troubling visit whenever I'm here,' his worried expression gave way to a soft smile, one of those she cherished so much because of how rare they were.

'Those from so many year ago? Why don't you just switch them to some which are not antiques,' his smile turned into a mischievous one as he continued. 'Like from last spring.' Natasha just smiled and locked their lips into a sweet kiss, savouring his cold lips she had missed so much.

But he was right, she had much newer and more heart lifting memories of this place. But could it be that what he said was true? That those were already a year past too? Has she longed after him for so many month? It was true that she had lost count of the days passed since their last meeting long ago but at last he came and she was in his arms again.

* * *

Guess the city, but if you get it wrong I swear I'll send Coulson after you!

Okay, honestly I would really like to know your opinion on this as it has been so long since I wrote anything that I can hardly remember and it would help me get back on track. So pretty please.


End file.
